1. A
Dremel.
This is a high-speed drill, sander, cutter and grinder. It is hand held
and has a ton of uses. Don’t get carried away here. Just get the basic
Dremel. Shop the Internet (eBay is good) and local discount hardware
sources. You might also consider the cordless version.
2. A
Dremel
#9909 cutting bit. This is shown
in the process of preparing shroud connection points for internal
mounting on the mast. This is preferred to the external mounting tangs.
It is your choice and is discussed in other sources here. Locate a local
professional tool store where journeyman trade guys buy their tools.
Some of the major hardware chains have a Dremel display. Call them and ask if they have this bit. If you cannot get it locally,
do an Internet search for "Dremel 9909."
3. A set of
"needle" or "jeweler’s" screwdrivers. Get the ones
that have both Phillips and blade. Buy cheap, you’ll loose some!
4. A mini hack saw. A single
metal loop unit with a 5 to 6 inch blade. These
will not twist on you. Do not get the scroll type blade. You want
stability. Cheap at discount hardware stores.
5. A soldering iron…not a
gun. Radio Shack has a piece of junk that will work fine. 15 to 30 watts
is enough. Get some small wire solder with a resin flux core.
6. A set of small drills, #80
to #60. You can use these with the Dremel. If you think of it, order a
couple extra #73 bits from Small Parts when ordering from them. You are
likely to break one while working on the mast. They sell them
individually and they are cheap.
7. Paper binding clamps.
Large stationary stores have them. Get a couple big ones and a few of
the smaller ones. They have a million uses the least of which is for
binding paper.
8. While you are at the
stationary store get a small razor knife and extra blades. You do not
need a kit. One knife will do.
9. Be on the look out for a
small square of Teflon or a form of dense plastic that can be used as a
cutting board for the lines. Those yellow putty spatulas you see in the
hardware store work fine. Spiderwire and Spectra like to be cut with a
razor knife and the board makes trimming easy. The knife and board
should always be in your kit when you go to the lake.
10. A drill set, ¼" to
1/16" will do. If you want to do to 3/8", fine. You do not
need to get carried away. If you are not concerned with the National
Debt, buy a numbered set 60 to 1. They are nice. Hehe, most of you won’t. Just
looking it up in the catalog will take your breath away! But I can
assure you that if you do dive into one of these sets, you will never
again search for the perfect bit.
Note: You may miss the disclaimer elsewhere but no drill sizes in
fractional inches will be provided in the construction process. The
comparisons have never been made here and no time is taken now to do so.
It will be suggested that you test as you go to find a fractional fit to
the task needed. It is okay, you'll do just fine. A drill chart will
help you get close.
11. Okay, this will help.
Hint! When you cut your mast to 71-7/8 inches, save the left over piece.
When you cut the arrow shaft booms, save the left over pieces. When in
doubt about the hole you need, test drill on these pieces and insert the
screw or pin to make sure. Keep it in your tool kit.
12. Don't let this scare you.
A few taps (that is for threading a hole for machine screws) and the
holder will make life a great deal easier. You do not need a set, just
those you will use.
Micro-Mark has a nifty ratchet drive
tap holder and sells the taps individually. We could use 2-56, 4-40, 8-32,
3.0mm and 3.5mm here in various projects. The 3.0mm and 3.5mm will be
quite handy for small eyelets from
SailsEtc if they open
up again.
13. A cheap set of needle
files.
14. Picking tweezers.
15. Needle nosed pliers.
16. Wire cutter. This is a
hard one. You need to cut and trim very small wire (rigging) and at the
same time cut electrical wire. Use your head on this and follow your
instincts. Good cutters will do both and do not have to be small. Bad
cutters will not do both and often last only the weekend. This is a tool
you will use over and over and when you need it, you need it. Don't
cheap it out.
17. A 7/64" Allen wrench
with the ball head. You should not need a set. If you can find one with
a tee or screwdriver handle, that would be great. This is for the rudder tiller and
will be part of your standard lake side tool kit. Good tool stores and
some hobby outlets have the
screwdriver handle version if you can’t find the tee handle.
18. A pair of 5"
Visegrip pliers. While there are other wire sleeve crimping devices
around, this tool is found the be the best all around tool. Also, when
crimping the #2 Berkley sleeves in the middle, it will leave the ends of
the sleeve slightly open, therefore, placing less stress on the body of
the wire. Stress here can cause the wire to break, particularly with the
internal mast tangs. Berkley’s crimper is not recommended.
19. Disposable rubber gloves.
20. Sanding stick.
21. Go on the Internet with
your search engine (Google is nice) and locate a bunch of charts for
tap, drill and screw sizing. What would be nice are charts that will
tell you the size of hole you need for various things. These charts are
wonderful to have as a reference before you drill a hole and find…"Oops."
Drill sizes stated in the EC are numbered. It will be up to you to find
the fractional bit that will work.
